1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to a ride-on toy vehicle for a pre-school child that is pushed and propelled by the feet of the child, and more particularly to a toy vehicle of this type having a soft and compressible body serving as a saddle anchored on a wheeled chassis, a child astride the body holding onto a rein attached thereto.
2. Status of Prior Art
The historic precursor of a vehicle in the form of a four-legged, animal-like figure on wheels is the legendary Trojan horse created by a large hollow wooden horse mounted on wheels. This horse, according to Homer, was wheeled into the open gates of Troy and had Greek warriors hidden in its torso.
A modern version of the Trojan horse popular with preschool children is constituted by a hollow, four-legged animal figure, such as one resembling a pony, molded of rigid synthetic plastic material. This plastic figure is mounted on four wheels to create a ride-on vehicle. The dimensions of the vehicle are such that a child astride the pony and holding onto its neck can reach the ground with his feet, and then use his feet to push and propel the toy vehicle.
While children enjoy playing with a ride-on toy vehicle of this type, for the child is then riding, as it were, on his own pony, the nature of this toy is such as to penalize the parents of the child. The term pre-school child, as used herein, refers to any child who is at least 2 years of age so that he is old enough to attend a kindergarten but not a regular school.
A 3-year old child when vigorously pushing an animal-like plastic figure on wheels in an indoor area will often collide with a wall and possibly with furniture in the path of this toy vehicle. The effect of a collision is usually not serious, but at the very least it will leave bump marks on the walls and furniture. But in some cases, when the toy vehicle is moving at a fairly high speed and collides with a wall, the child astride the vehicle will then be thrust forward and he may strike his head against the rigid head section of the plastic figure and be injured thereby.